Bead-cutting mechanism



y 7, 1930. w. E. HUMPHREY 1,760,411

'BEAD CUTTING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 7, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG-.1

1 I I 10 C y M 613 12 w d a y 0- w. E. HUMPHREY 1,760,411

BEAD CUTTING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 7,1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zz/aZrsz' EHum 2725 37 May 27, 1930.

W. E. HUMPHREY BEAD CUTTING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 7, 1926 s Sheets-Sheets 7 J22 z/Ezzzar EZZ'EZ E Humphrey Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATESPATENT. OFFICE Warren a. artram, or name, onro, assrenon 'ro 'rnn masonconroaa'rron, or 1mm, care, a oonromrron or menswear.

a amen.

BRAD-MING MECHANISM Application and August 7, 1926. Serial no. 127,959.

My invention relates tov improvements in bead cutting mechanism, and hasfor its object the provision of means for accurately and rapidly cuttinglengths of bead-forming mal terial from the continuous strip offabricated material.

The particular bead-forming 1113112811811 which Ishall assume isoperated upon by my improved machine, comprises a band of relativelystifi interwoven wires, with which there is incorporated an enclosingbody of raw rubber. This fabricated material obviously presents certaindifficulties in handling and cutting'the same, by reason of its inherentl tendency to curl, as well as the liability of disrupting or displacingthe rubber covering. Accordingly, it has been by instant urpose todevise suitable mechanism which s all effectively, ra idly and cheaplycut the mate rial into suc lengths as may be required for use.

This mechanism essentiallyv com rises a series of cooperating rolls overand etween which the fabricated bead-forming material is drawn at'apredetermined rate. In association therewith, I have provided. anintermittently operated cutter, preferably having a retardedspring-actuatedblow, which cutter operates upon the material at suchintervals as to separate it into the desired lengths, withoutinterrupting the feed or movement of the mechanism. The details of theparticular mechanism embodying my invention, and its mode of operation,may best be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a view, principally in plan view, but partially in sectionand broken away, illustrating said mechanism;

Fig. 2 is'a view thereof, also broken away, in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a View thereof in end elevation;

Fig. 4 is another view in end elevation, X but showing the cutter in itsdetained position, together with the operating mechanism in dottedlines;

Fig. 5is a fragmentary view, partially in irregular section on line 5-5,Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is another fragmentary section on line 66, Fig. 2;

- creased in number to Fig". 7 is a crosssectional view, Fig: 8 a planview, partially-broken away, showing the type of bead-forming materialwith which the mechanism is adapted to deal.

' Fig. 9 is an end view of my bead-cutting mechanism equipped withadjusting means and a self-contained electric motor, and Fig. 10 isanother view thereof in side elevation.

Throughout the several figures of the drawgs I have employed the samecharacter of reference to indicate similar parts.'

This machine desirably is driven from the gear a meshingwith the primemover (not shown) to actuate the shaft b, having the main gear 6 of atrain of gears, and the spiral gear I)", mounted directly thereon.Externally of the casing 0 there is provided a drum 0? having agroovedperiphery also mounted upon and rotated by shaft b. Adrlitionalcoacting drums d, d" and d of similar diameters and grooved peripheriesare mounted in line with the drum 03, while a coacting roller or drum eis forced against said drum d by means of the spring (5' which istensioned against the sliding bearing e.

Over and between these drums, respectively, there is led the continuouslength of fabricated bead-forming material, generally des ignated by f,and shown in Figs. 7 and 8, to comprise a plurality of stiff interwoven,braided wires f and enclosing, permeating body of raw rubber f".Depending upon the size of the bead, these wires may be ingiveadditional strength and body; the machines now built successful- 1yoperating upon and cutting a bead-form ing member comprising someseventeen interwoven wires.

-. Referring particularlyto Fig: 2, it will be seen that thebead-form1ng material enters the groove of drum 0), loops about drums dand d, and passes between the drums d and e. These drums are directly orindirectly driven by the train of gears c, 0", c and c, actuated by themain gear I). Thus the beadforming material is fed through the opening9' in the cutter-plate g, rapidly and continuously in order to cut thesame automatically of the uniform and desired length.

Attention is drawn to'Fig. 4:, showing the comprise two motion to thecutter-arm,

' contacting once durin each revolution mounted on the en of shaft 11"opposite the rotated cutter-arm h momentarily held by the detent i. Thiscutter-arm carries the hardened steel blade in. which has a shearingaction with respect to the cutter-plate g, as indicated in Figs. 3 and5, when released from the detent. I

The actuating means for the cutter-arm driven shaft members j, 7"(Fig. 1) operatively connected by a coiled spring j". This normallyimparts rotary actuated by the chain-connected gears k, k and k." thelatter, in turn, being actuated at reduced speed by the-spiral gear I)".An arm 75:, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 6, is rotated wlth gearfi;

w1 the end of the s ri ng-retracted lever 71 detent i. Thus, the hookedend of said detent normally is held in position temporarily to engagethe end of the cutter-arm as it is rotate by its spring-connected shaftin a clockwise direction.

Although the cutter-arm is thus detained once during each revolution,the farther end of its gear-driven shaft 1" is continuously r'- fatedand thereby places a strong tension upon the spring 7", until thecutter-arm is suddenly released from its detent. Whereu on, the force ofthe. spring is exerted to e ect an almost instantaneous blow of thecutter against the advanced length of headforming material f at thecutter-plate g,

' thereby automatically severing a predetermined length thereof. Thisdoes not in the least interrupt the feeding action of the machine in itscontinuous operation.

' Asa means of checking the suddenl actution and saves the spring.

ated cutter-arm h and its shaft 1', f0 owing the cutting operation, Ipreferably provide a brake device or. dampener, comprising; the

. wid'e leather band 1 extending over the shaft fl'and'held closely inengaglement therewith y means of the weight I. overthrow of'thecutter-arm and shaft sec- From the fore oing it will be a reciated thatmy improved mechanism is we adapted for automatically measuring andcutting accuratel into the desired lengths this somewhat, cultbead-forming material, without waste or delay.

,While the mechanism above described is adapted to cut the bead-forming'material into predetermihed lengths, freguently. it is desirable that awide measure 0 adaptabil ity shall be afforded with the facilitles forcutting beads of different lengths, either to afford more plies therein,or produce beads of larger or smaller diameter. a Moreover when thebead-formingmaterial is handleddi from the tuber., which, applies andembe the wires in a ribbon of heated rubber, it is highl desirable moreor lea completely to cool an somewhat toughen his prevents the therubber before it is introduced to the beadforming mechanism.Accordinglly, I have applied certain improvements tot e t of mechanismalready described, which 'wi accom lish these results; the same beingshown in Flgs. 9 and 10 of the drawings.

This machine is self-contained, in that it is provided with its ownelectric motor m having a driving connection through the reducing gearm. The feeding and cutting mechanism of this machine are identical withthe one already described, and similar reference lettersthereon obviateany detailed description' in this connection. However, a cooling tank,or water bath n is provided for initially cooling the bead-formingmaterial as it comes from the tuber and is directed over the successiverollers n, n, M, n and n" into and out of the cooling tank to thesimilar staggered arrangement of grooved drums d, d, d and i Theseeffect a continuous feed of the beadcutting material through thecutter-plate g.

In order to vary the lengths of bead-forming material to be cut by thismechanism, it is necessary to provide adjustable timing mechanismbetween the feeder and the cutter portions ofthe machine. This isafforded by the variable speed drive from the bevelled gears o and shaft0, connected to'the sprocket p of the Reece variable speed transmissionp, which in turn, is connected with the seven- ,speed' adjustablefriction gear 9, controlled b the lever g. I Thus the rate of the timeds aft 1', connected thereto by the chain drive, is made wid'eladjustable in order to permit the cutting 0 different lengths of thebeadforming material automatically, as explained above.

Theseadded improvements, accordingly,

afford self-contained means for cooling, and

- eluding an interposed spring reacting against the cutter member, a'detent for said member,

and means timed with the bead advancing 1 means for retracting thedetentand releasing the cutter member, substantially as set forth. 1 2. In abead-cutting mechanism, the combination with means for uniformlyadvancing the bead-forming material, of a rotated cutter member, adriving shaft therefor, an

interposed tensionin'gtspr'ing, and means 'timedwith the bead advancingmeans for alternately tensioning the spring and releasing it to sever apredetermined length of said bead-forming material, substantially as 5set forth.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the

" combination with advancing means, of a ro- I against said member, adetent therefor, and

timed means for retracting the detent and -releasing said cuttermember,substantially as set forth.

, 5. In a bead-cutting mechanism, the combination with means foradvancing the beadforming material approximately at a uniform rate, of amoving cutter member therefor, actuating means including a spring re-"acting against the cutter member, a temporarily-acting' detent therefor,means timed with the bead advancing means for retracting the detent andreleasing said cutter memher, and speed-varying means for adjusting therate ofsaid timed means, substantially as set forth.

' 6. In a bead-cutting mechanism, the combination with means forcontinuously advancing the bead-forming materialof a rotated cuttermember, a driving shaft therefor, a tensioning spring connected toactuate the cutter and adjustable means timed with the bead advancingmeans for alternately tensioning the spring and releasing it with saidcutter to sever definite lengths of the beadforming material,substantially as set forth.

7. In a bead-cutting mechanism, the combination with means. forcontinuously feedreleasing the cutter, substantially as set forth.

9. In a bead-cutting mechanism, the combination with a rotatable cutter,of means for actuating the same including a spring positioned axiallywith respect .to said rotatable cutter, a detent normally restrainingsaid cutter against the tension of its axially disposed spring, meansfor advancing the bead-forming material ,to the cutter at variable ratesof s eed, and automatic means timed therewith fhr retracting the detentand releasing the cutter, whereby lengths of the bead-forming materialmay be indefinitely varied, substantially as set forth.

10. In a bead-cutting mechanism, the com-- bination with means forcontinuously feeding the bead-forming material,-of means forindefinitely varying the rate thereof as required, a coacting rotatablecutter, an axially positioned tensioning spring reacting against thesame, a detent momentarily engaging the cutter against the tension ofsaid spring, and timing means interposed between the feed and detent forretracting the latter at indefinitely forth.

11. In a bead-cutting mechanism, the combination with means forcontinuously feeding the bead-forming material, of a cooling appliancefor said material, means for in definitely varying the rate of feed, arotatable cutter member, an axially positioned .spring and driven shafttherefor, a detent for said cutter, and timing means interposed betweenthe feed and detent for retracting the latter at intervals, whereby thecutter may sever indefinitely variable lengths of the material, asrequired, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I do now afi'ix my signature. 3

A WALTER E. HUMPHREY.

ing the bead-forming material, of an interv mittently actuated cutterdevice, a tensioning spring reacting against the cutter, a detentmomentarily engaging the cutter against spring tension, and adjustablemeans variably timed with the'bead feeding means cutter, substantiallyas set forth.

for retracting the detent and releasing the 8. In a bead-cuttingmechanism, the com- I bination with a rotatable cutter, of means foractuating the same including, a spring no axially positioned withrespect to the rotatable cutter, a detent normally restraining saidcutter against the tension of its axial spring, means for advancing thebead-forming material, and automatic means timed with the latter forretracting the detent and variable intervals, substantially as set v iao

